While on vacation a few months ago, I read a magazine article about Dr. Frank King, a chiropractor, naturopath, and the owner of Carolina Bison.

I don't eat a lot of red meat anymore, but when I do, I eat bison. Bison (sometimes referred to as buffalo) is a great alternative to beef. It provides more protein and nutrients with fewer calories and less fat. Talk about a win-win.

Bison meat also contains:

as many Omega-3s per serving as salmon (and 3-6 times the amount of omega-3s as grain fed animals

the highest-know levels of the fat-blocker and anti-carcinogen, conjugated linoleic acid ("CLA")

high concentrations of selenium, a natural trace element that acts as a mood elevator

4 times the amount of vitamin E found in grain fed beef.

When I read that the Carolina Bison farms were 15 minutes from my house and open to tours, I couldn't wait to go.

So last week, Lucas and I spent a morning on the farm with these guys...

The tour was amazing. In addition to brown and white bison, the farm has herds of watusi (an East African cattle species), camel, deer, elk and yak. And, of course, they have the more traditional populations of horses, pigs, cats and dogs.

Although we weren't allowed to touch or pet the bison or watusi, we were able to get face-to-face with them. Sitting on a tractor bed, I got to gaze into the eyes of these incredible, majestic creatures, and it was beyond magical.

I felt seen in a way that just doesn't happen with other human beings. It was as if these animals were speaking to me on behalf of Mother Nature herself - and I definitely got the message.

It was also such a pleasure to see a local farm so respectful of the animals in their care. For example, they brought over the largest herd of watusi in North America in order to help preserve the species, which is becoming more and more rare in its native land.

As consumers, I believe it's our responsibility to know as much about where our food comes as possible. And local farms are where it's at! CLICK TO TWEET

Where does your food come from? Do you know any local farmers through farmers markets, etc.? If so, please give them a shout out on our Facebook page. They deserve so much credit for all their hard work!